Should Aussie airlines be offering child-free zones on planes?

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By Hannah Edensor


In this guest piece, Stephanie Yip – Travel Expert at finder.com.au, reveals the interesting new statistics around Aussie travellers and their desires for child-free zones.

The results are in and while the margin is, well, marginal, it sounds like more Australians would prefer to keep kids as far away from them as possible when flying.

Child-free zones on planes. It’s a hot topic that resurfaces time and time again, and now, a survey of 3,100 Australians conducted by InsureandGo has found that that 55 per cent of us are in want of a little peace and quiet while travelling.

This idea of a child-free zone isn’t anything groundbreaking, and if you’re seeking to increase the distance between you and a child when flying, there are a number of airlines that have taken measures to ensure that this is possible.

AirAsia X was the first budget Asian airline to offer such a service when it launched a quiet zone in February 2013. Dubbed simply a “quiet zone”, it’s a space located behind the premium flatbed cabin, comprised of eight rows where under 10s are banned.

Within the quiet zone, AirAsia X promises minimal noise, soft ambient lighting and fast meal services. The sound of silence does come at a price, with extra fees starting from $29 on journeys between Sydney and Kuala Lumpur.

Singapore’s budget airline Scoot has a similar space, inoffensively named ScootSilence. Launched only months after AirAsia, these seats are situated just behind business class and offer a child-free in-flight experience as well as an extra four inches of seat space compared to standard economy.

Scoot is a little more strict with kids here, banning anyone under 12.

Again, you’re looking to pay a touch more for this silent luxury, with prices starting from $39 on top of your regular fare for journeys between Sydney and Singapore.

Whether Australian airlines are looking to hop onto the child-free bandwagon is yet to be seen. With over half of us in favour of the concept though, it shouldn’t be ruled out.

Judging by those that have gone before us, if it is eventually offered it’ll likely be a budget airline that takes the helm, offering premium seating for a pocketful of change.

Only time will tell.

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

airasia airasia x child-free finder.com.au insureandgo qantas scoot

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